Why Did Joshua Jackson and Jodie Turner-Smith Divorce? Inside Their Shocking Split

Jodie broke her silence about her split from Joshua in a recent interview, and also hinted at what went wrong in a new post.

Joshua Jackson and Jodie Turner-Smith were one of the most low-key and sweetest couples in Hollywood, but their marriage came to an abrupt end four years after exchanging vows. Naturally, fans are curious why the pair called it quits.  

About two months after their split, Joshua appeared to have struck up a new relationship with Lupita Nyong’o in December 2023. He was seen smooching with the Black Panther actress during an outing in Joshua Tree Park in December 2023. A few months later, Jodie broke her silence on her split from Joshua.

Keep reading to find out the reason behind Joshua and Jodie’s separation. 

Why Are Joshua Jackson and Jodie Turner-Smith Getting a Divorce?

In her October 2, 2023, filing, Jodie cited the reason behind their separation as “irreconcilable differences.” The Queen & Slim actress also noted that her and the Fatal Attraction star’s date of separation was September 13. However, one month later, Joshua countered Jodie’s filing by claiming that their date of separation was September 30, per Us Weekly. Neither of them has publicly commented on their split. 

Shortly after the news broke of their split, Entertainment Tonight reported that the former couple were “having issues lately.” 

“They celebrated Jodie’s birthday on September 9 at The Flower Shop in NYC but arrived separately and left separately,” a source told the outlet. “It was a big party, and they were distant throughout the night and barely around each other. Jodie spent [the] majority of the evening downstairs.”

Days after Jodie filed for divorce, an insider told PEOPLE that the marriage got “unhealthy,” but they didn’t divulge many other details. “She decided that she is done,” they said. “They are on very different paths in life.”

The source continued and explained that the pair would still do what’s best for their daughter. “It turned into an unhealthy marriage that made her unhappy. They will co-parent their daughter. They want her to continue to thrive,” they told the outlet.

Us Weekly then reported that it was Jodie who “ripped off the Band-Aid” on their marriage because it “wasn’t working for her.”

“She refused to settle for something that didn’t feel right,” the source told the publication. Jodie seemingly nodded to this notion during her February 2024 interview with The Times, in which she said, “Sometimes, things we really want to work just don’t end up working.”

One week later, Jodie shared a discussion by the Black Podcast Gems to social media about a mother’s mental health and how it relates to raising a child. In the video, one of the podcast hosts pointed out, “And what [a mother] will teach you about being in relationships with other people, whether you can trust them, whether you can trust yourself [and] whether you can actually be committed and connected to somebody. And know that they will reciprocate that to you in a healthy way.”

How Long Were Joshua Jackson and Jodie Turner-Smith Together? 

Joshua and Jodie first met at a charity event in 2018 and quickly fell in love. The following year, they got engaged and tied the knot in December 2019. 

During an interview with The Times in April of this year, the Dawson’s Creek alum revealed that his now-estranged wife was the one who proposed. 

“I don’t know if she planned it or if it was a spur-of-the-moment thing, but out popped a proposal I was not expecting, and the organic and instinctive answer was ‘yes,’” he told the publication.  

Joshua also noted that he was initially hesitant to consider marriage and children but pointed out that Jodie changed his mind. 

“I’m old enough to be able to do this,” he said. “Partially, it’s about finding somebody in the right moment of life. … If we had met five years earlier, we probably would have had a torrid affair, but all the rest of this stuff, I was just not ready. I didn’t think I ever wanted to get married.”

Do Joshua Jackson and Jodie Turner-Smith Have Kids? 

The duo shares their daughter, Juno Rose Diana Jackson, together. She was born in 2020. During his interview with The Times, Joshua gushed over his and Jodie’s child. 

“Six months [after Jodie’s proposal], she was pregnant and we were on our way,” he said. “And now, we have this beautiful baby, who is literally the manifestation of that love. It is impossible for me to look into the face of my child without feeling love for my wife.”